


Meet The Family, I Guess

by spaceMaverick



Category: Creepypasta - Fandom, Marble Hornets, Slender Man Mythos, Slender: The Arrival
Genre: ???? - Freeform, Alternate Universe, Family Bonding, Family Drama, Family Dynamics, Gen, LMAO, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Child Abuse, Slenderverse, Suicide Attempt, Team as Family, except slenderman isnt there in any way because FUCK slenderman, its... kind of like slender mansion, that theuy built, they all just live in a shitty house thing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-22
Updated: 2018-10-05
Packaged: 2019-07-15 11:25:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16062119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spaceMaverick/pseuds/spaceMaverick
Summary: After Toby found out where his mother was living, he obsessively checked in on her every so often. One day, Connie tries to kill herself while Toby is hiding in a closet. Through desperate emotions and not-quite-human abilities, toby accidentally teleports them to the forest he and the other proxies live in.





	1. Saving Your Mom's Life But It Doesn't Go As Planned

**Author's Note:**

> this is in the same universe as [my other fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10816716/chapters/23998074)
> 
> i dont know what the fuick im doing

Weak sunlight filtered through the trees as Toby darted in between them. The air here was different; fresher. Like the place was actually real. He peeked out from behind his hiding spot, gaze resting on a white house at the end of the street. It was a fairly simple house, with a little walkway surrounded by flower bushes leading up to the door. Toby heaved himself over the fence nearest to him and ran across backyards until he reached the house. He pressed up against one of its walls to catch his breath and looked into the kitchen window. He saw Connie sleeping on her couch while ads played on the TV in front of her. Toby carefully opened the sliding door and tiptoed up to his mother. 

His heart ached when he saw the state she was in; dark eyebags, messy unwashed hair, and rumpled clothes. He wanted so desperately to be with her here and keep her happy.

Ever since she had seen him in the woods with Tim and Brian, he couldn't stop thinking about her. Was she alright? Where did she live? And the guilty question, did she miss him? Trying to find her had consumed his life. When he finally did, it was clear that she wasn't coping well. Toby started checking in on her every few days, keeping quiet and hoping she didn't notice her supposedly dead son lurking around. Now here he was, looking down at his mother, on the verge of tears. He missed her so much, but he wanted her to get over him more.

Suddenly, Connie stirred, her eyebrows furrowing. Panicking, Toby shoved himself in a nearby closet. He held his breath and hoped he could channel any vocal tics through his body. Connie rose slowly and made her way to the kitchen. She paused, then reached up into a cupboard and pulled something Toby couldn't see out of it. He heard rattling and managed to spot a bottle of pills in her shaky hands. Toby continued to watch, not wanting to jump to conclusions and reveal himself.

But something was off about his mother's face. There was a dark resolution in her eyes. He could feel his heart pounding as he waited. Connie took a deep breath and emptied the bottle onto the counter. Toby paused for only a moment longer until she grabbed a handful. He slammed the closet door open and bolted to the kitchen, tackling his mother to the ground. Her shriek was warped by a strange buzzing sound, then everything blurred and Toby grunted as he hit the hard forest floor. He jumped off of Connie and watched as she scrambled to her feet. She looked around wildly, then screamed when she saw Toby.

“Wait-” Toby’s call was cut short by a particularly forceful grunt, “Wait!” He held his arms out to keep his mother from running away. “Connie! Connie- _Mom!”_

That made her stop. Connie stared up at Toby, green eyes boring into his. She looked terrified, shoulders hunched and legs bent- ready to run or fight.

“Who the hell are you-” Connie stopped, eyes wide. “No,” she murmured, “No, no, no. That wasn't real. I didn't see you-”

“Fall out of a tree?” Toby interrupted. “Get pulled away by two masked people?”

“That… that actually happened…?” Connie's voice wavered, her eyes watering. “You're- you're alive? ...Toby?”

“Yes,” Toby replied, “Yes, I'm alive.” He felt his shoulders jerk, and couldn't tell if it was a tic or the beginnings of a sob.

“Oh my God,” Connie whispered. She ran forward, hugging her son tightly. Toby froze, but hugged her back. He felt her shudder as sobs racked her body. Her face was red and puffy when she pulled away, but there was a weak smile on her face. “How… where are we?” She asked, looking around the forest.

Toby rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t actually know; it’s just where I live.”

“You _live_ here?”

“Uh, yeah. I think it’s part of its… own dimension.” He paused, then added, “There are others.”

“Those two people who pulled you away, right?”

“Yes, but there are more.” He saw Connie’s eyes widen. “Just- just let me explain, it’s kind of hard to believe.” He sat down and patted the leaf-strewn ground beside him. Connie sat and fiddled with her hair while Toby spoke. “That thing I used to talk about, after- after Lyra died? The weird tall thing? It’s real. It kidnapped me… tha- that night.” Toby winced at his own awkward wording, knowing he was making his mother remember horrible things. He continued anyway. “It takes people who are ki- kind of unstable to begin with... and brainwashes them. He… I’m sorry, this is, uh, really weird to just- say out loud. He makes us kill people.”

Connie was silent, looking down into her lap. Toby couldn’t read her expression.

“... Mom?” He leaned forward, trying to catch her eye. She looked at him, worry in her eyes. “I know that w-was a lot, but please talk to me…” His neck twitched, a grunt following. It seemed to pull Connie out of her thoughts.

“Toby… there have been a lot of murders over the years. Was that you?”

Toby cringed. “M-me and the others, yeah.” Panic raced through him as Connie scrambled to her feet. “Wait, wh-what are you doing? Mom?” He stood up too quickly and fell over again. He made eye contact with Connie, who stopped still. Toby pushed himself up and leaned against a tree. “Please just listen to me. We don’t- we don’t have a choice,” he called. “Do- do you really think I would hurt someone willingly? You know me, Mom. I’m- I’m not like that!”

“I don’t know _what_ to believe! All I can even think of when you come to mind is how you killed your father. You burned the house down!”

“He de- deserved to die!” Toby yelled, angry at the possibility of Connie siding with his father. “He deserved it... and you know it! Don’t act like he was a good father- a good _person!_ H- he was terrible. Maybe you’re… maybe you’re just as bad now!” He regretted the last part, but there was no going back now. He regained his balance and made his way to Connie. “I’m n-not in control,” he hissed. “I would leave if I could!”

“What the hell is going on?”

Toby whipped around to see Brian, frozen in shock. Connie just stared at him.

“Brian, please, tell her about th-the mind control. Tell her we don’t have any free will! She won’t- she won’t listen to me!” Toby’s voice rose to an embarrassing wail at the end. 

Brian looked between Toby and his mother. “Toby, who is this?”

“She’s… my mom.”

“Your _mother_ is here?” 

“Yes, okay? I teleported my mom here. It was an accident! She was- she was going to-” Toby’s throat tightened up, and tears threatened to spill down his cheeks. “She was going to kill herself,” he murmured. He could see Connie shrink back in the corner of his eye. Brian’s shoulders dropped. He walked over to Toby, putting an arm around his trembling shoulders.

“Hey, hey,” he said, “calm down, okay?” He looked to his mother. “What’s your name?”

“...Connie.”

“Hi, Connie, I’m Brian. I’m sorry you’re here.”

“Is it true? Are you murderers?”

“Uh-” Brian recoiled from the blunt question, “-yes. But Toby is right; we don’t have any ‘say’ in the matter. It’s all up to the Operator- or, Slenderman, or... whatever else people call him.”

Toby was barely listening, focusing more on getting his twitching under control. He saw his mother wilt with Brian’s words. Brian looked over at him. His gaze softened and he squeezed Toby’s shoulders a little tighter. Connie stared at the two of them, muttering something panicky under her breath. Brian sighed loudly.

“I think we should get out of here; your mother needs time to think,” Brian whispered. Toby nodded, leaning into Brian slightly. He glanced at Connie, but let Brian lead him away to the fort. Toby slid down the side wall and pulled his knees to his chest.

“What were you thinking?” Brian said. He was standing over Toby, whose wall-sitting had become spiteful and filled with glaring. He hunched his shoulders in a weak attempt to hide his nervous ticking.

“She w-as going t-to kill herself,” he murmured. “I-I couldn’t ju- just let her!” He whimpered as his neck jerked repeatedly. Brian sat next to him, reaching out a cautious hand. When Toby didn’t move away, he wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

“I now it wasn’t on purpose,” Brian explained, “but we are in quite the fucking pickle, aren’t we?”

Toby laughed dryly. “Yeah... you could say that.”

“Whatever happens, you have me. You have all of us. That’s what we do; we stick together.” Toby only nodded, digging his fingernails into his striped sleeves. His shoulders flinched and Brian suppressed a hiss of pain as his arm was crushed against the wall. Toby recalled a time Brian joked that he was too strong for his own good.

“Sorry…” Toby said, realizing the damage.

“It’s fine, I’m not hurt,” Brian said, “just surprised me.” Toby could sense his friend wasn’t quite telling the truth, but let it be. Brian would tell him if he was really hurt.

A crunch of leaves made both of them look up. Connie was hiding behind a tree very badly.

“You can come out,” Brian said. “Your son and I won’t hurt you.”

As Connie neared, Toby curled in on himself. His grip tightened on his arms. Brian gently took his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

“I don’t hate you, Toby,” Connie said. Toby whined. The frightened sound made Brian tense up. _I might be too strong,_ Toby thought, _but he’s too protective for his own good._ His attention came back to Connie. “In fact, it’s quite the opposite. I love you. I’ve missed you so much. I thought you were dead.” Connie started to lean down. Toby peeked at her through his shaggy bangs. “Please say something,” Connie murmured.

“Do you really not hate me?”

The question hung in the air. Toby curled back up, and Connie shifted uncomfortably.

“I don’t think I could ever truly hate you, hon. I think you know that, too.”

Toby leaned harder into Brian, who briefly petted his hair. Toby was painfully aware of Connie staring the man down. “Okay. Well… ma’am, I think it’s best to come inside and try to relax until we can all have a proper conversation.” He began to stand, offering a hand for Toby, who grabbed it. Brian lead the way into their ramshackle fort and let Toby disappear around a corner to sleep.


	2. An Awkward Convo With Your Son's Weird Adult Firend

Connie stood stiffly in the center of the main room, twisting her hands and looking at the ground.

“He’ll be okay, won’t he?” The distressed woman asked.

“He should be fine in a few hours, tomorrow at the most. He’s pretty shaken up.” Brian sat on the rough couch and gestured to invite Connie. She sat at the other end. “I need to warn you; there are other people who live here. They can be scary at first, but they’re all harmless around us. They’re friends and family, alright?” Connie nodded, still obviously scared out of her mind. “My friends, Tim and Jay, are here a lot. They’ll be wary around you, but I trust you, so they should be fine. Toby has a close friend named Jeff, who is pretty terrifying. He’s also terrified of everything. Just… be kind and don’t be too loud.”

“T-terrifying in _what_ way, exactly?” Connie interjected.

“Uh. Well…” Brian rubbed the back of his neck. “Do you know what a Glasgow smile is?”

“Jesus Christ.”

“I know, I know. Just- Jeff is _really_ important to Toby. I’m afraid that the rift between you two will get worse if Jeff receives you badly.”

“I- okay,” Connie replied. She seemed to relax a little bit, though she remained stiff in her spot on the couch. Brian sighed and stood up, busying himself with random, pointless organizing. He was broken out of his cleaning trance when Connie spoke again. “Can you tell me more about the others?” She sounded timid; afraid of her own question. Brian smiled.

“Sure. Tim is my friend from college. We were film students. I met Jay through a project we were working on with a couple other people. Tim is anxious around most people, but really sweet when he wants to be. And Jay is a little oblivious. You have to be really blunt with him or he’ll get really confused. He’s really nice, too. Everyone here is… really nice.” He looked back to Connie, who was listening intently. _Didn’t think she actually wanted to hear this,_ he pondered. He had figured she was just nervous and didn’t like the silence. “Toby is closer with Jeff and Kate. I told you about how anxious Jeff is, but he’s a pretty open person at the same time. He’s complicated. Kate, on the other hand, doesn’t really care about what other people think or do. She rarely talks. She was the first one here, actually. Toby was the second.”

“How did this-” she gestured to the walls around her- “happen? Did you build it?”

“We did, yeah. Toby and Jeff started on it while me, Tim, and Jay took some time to ourselves to get used to the situation, and when we came back, we kept building on it. Toby’s really good at finding strong branches, and he can jump really high, did you know that?”

Connie shook her head. “He was never an active person.”

Brian shrugged. “Well, he is now. Super energetic, actually. He loves climbing trees, but we don’t let him do it much. His tics get worse with anxiety, and I think he’s secretly afraid of heights.”

Connie was silent again, looking somber. “I’m realizing…” she said, “that I never properly got to know Toby.”

“I can understand why,” Brian replied. When Connie looked up, confused, he sighed. “Toby’s told us everything he remembers. He was severely traumatized, and retreated into an anxious, quiet personality. He’s gotten a lot friendlier over the years.” He leaned against a wall, watching Connie carefully. She seemed upset, but not like she was going to do anything but sit still. “He loves you so much, Connie. When we talked about our pasts, he had nothing but good things to say about you.”

She seemed to appreciate that, her expression softening slightly. “I wish I could have given him a better life,” she said.

Brian gave her a sad smile. “I’m sure you can work things out with him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love brian and familial relationships
> 
> ive got liek half of the third chapter written


	3. Let's Fuccin Meet People

Toby turned the corner into the main entry room, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and leaning against the entryway. He barely stopped himself from yelping when he saw Connie sitting on the couch, messing with the hem of her shirt.

“Hey,” Brian said, appearing behind him. “How are you?” He asked, face concerned.

“Fine,” Toby said with a shrug. He looked back to his mother. “Have you just… been sitting there?”

Connie nodded. “Brian and I talked while you were gone.”

“Tim and Jay should be back soon,” Brian said, changing the subject. “What should we do about, uh, introductions? I don’t want to surprise them.”

“You should wait by the entrance and go over it with them before they can get inside,” Toby replied. “Do you remember if Jeff or Kate went with them? Jeff’s gonna be... really nervous,” he added.

Brian paused for a moment. “I think they went to follow them,” he said. “They’ll probably all get here around the same time.”

“What should I do?” Connie asked.

Toby sat on the makeshift table he had moved to during the conversation. “Maybe… be in- be in another room? So you aren’t the first thing they see. You can come back to this room once they’ve all come in?” They both looked to Brian, who nodded in agreement. “Cool. You can go in this hallway area; you don’t need to be on the other side of the house or anything.” He got off the table and waited for Connie to realize she should follow. He walked to the hallway and looked around, considering the other rooms. “Are you okay with just ha-hanging out in the hall? Or do you want to sit in a room?”

“The hall is fine,” Connie said quietly. Toby turned around to look at her. His mother was still tense, shoulders hunched and eyes looking anywhere but him.

“The others will be fine with you being here,” Toby said, attempting to reassure her.

“I’m not worried about that,” Connie replied. “Brian told me about how nice you all are.” She finally locked eyes with him. “Toby, do _you_ still love me?”

“I-” Toby stopped, trying to get any stammering under control before he spoke. “I do. I really care about you, Mom. When I saw you that day, I… I kind of got obs-obsessed with trying to find you again. When I-I did, I would stop by your house to check on you every so often.”

Toby watched as Connie seemed to think about what he said. She took a breath, before saying, “Can I give you a hug?”

“Of- of course,” Toby said, choking back tears. He met Connie in a tight embrace and buried his face in her hair, being extra careful not to squeeze her too hard. “I love you, Mom,” he murmured.

“I love you, too, Toby.”

 

Leaves crunching and Brian making a surprised noise let Toby and Connie know the others were back. Toby heard Brian rush out the entrance, and hushed voices going back and forth. He hoped they would be calm.

“You can come out now,” Brian called. “It’s Tim, Jay, Jeff, and Kate.”

Toby took Connie’s hand and pulled her around the corner. He looked to Jeff first, scanning his face for fear. He seemed okay, but Connie’s hand tightening around his distracted him. He Gave his mother’s hand a reassuring squeeze before addressing the group.

“I don’t know how much Brian explained,” he began, “but, uh, this is my mom, Connie. I accidentally teleported her here.” He watched everyone as silence blanketed the room. Jay and Jeff shuffled closer to Tim, while Brian was visibly holding back a sigh.

Connie cleared her throat. “Hello,” she said. “I am… just as nervous as you are. But it’s nice to meet you.”

Tim was the first to recover. He stepped forward and held out his hand. “My name’s Tim,” he said as Connie shook it.

“I’m Jay.” The man had followed Tim up to Connie and gave her a small wave. Connie nodded a greeting. Toby let go of her hand and made his way over to Jeff. He momentarily met eyes with him. When he nodded, Toby turned to Connie.

“And this is Jeff,” he said. Jeff waved awkwardly. Toby could tell Connie was holding back a cringe, but she waved back with a smile.

 

When everyone was acquainted, Toby let himself relax. Jay, Tim, and Brian were making idle conversation while Connie listened off to the side, and Jeff and Kate leaned quietly against the wall with Toby, sitting on the soft dirt floor.

“How much are have you told her?” Jeff asked suddenly.

“About what?” Toby replied.

“Everything. There’s kind of a lot to unpack in this situation. How much are you planning on telling her?”

“Everything,” Toby echoed. “I want to tell her everything. About this place, about Natalie, about you… I want to be close to her. And I want to talk about Lyra. And Dad.”

“Why would you let your guard down like that?”

Toby looked at Jeff. He was genuinely confused, looking very worried. “She’s my mom,” he said. “She’s the only parent I have.”

“Why does that matter?” Jeff huffed. “You have a family here. Why does she have to stay?”

“Because I want her to,” Toby said, frowning. “Why don’t you?”

“I mean-” he crossed his arms over his chest. “I guess I don’t really _care_ if she stays or not, but what if she turns on us? Or gets in the way of something?”

Realization washed over Toby. “You’ve never had a new member arrive.”

“What?”

“You’ve never been here for someone completely new appearing. Even Jay wasn’t too much of a surprise. You’re scared that it won’t work out.” Toby glanced over at Kate, who was nodding in agreement. “When Tim and brian showed up, me and Kate were scared out of our minds. We thought it was just going to be us, alone for the rest of our lives. But we got used to them.”

“You scared me, too,” Kate grunted. Both boys looked over at the normally-silent woman. Toby’s chest warmed at the sound of his friend’s rough voice.

“I don’t blame you! But you were just as scary, with your nasty hoodie.”

Kate let out a breathy laugh and leaned against Toby’s shoulder. Jeff wrapped his arms around Toby’s right arm, headbutting his shoulder.

“Sorry for saying those things about your mom,” he mumbled.

“It’s okay,” Toby said.

“You guys look tired as hell,” Tim called across the room. Toby looked up to see the four others smiling at them.

“We’re having a m-moment, fuck off,” Toby laughed. He froze slightly. “Uh, sorry, Mom.”

Connie burst into a fit of giggles. “Toby, you’re 23. I couldn’t care less about you swearing.”

Toby felt his face heat up as Tim laughed at him. “I’ve got th-the mindset of a 17-year-old! C-cut me some sl- slack!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a slut for family bonding  
> Kate barely, BARELY talks, even with Toby. I love Kate so much


	4. Adjustment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is short im sorry  
> im depressed as fuuckk so we'll see how that goes

It had been a few days since Connie arrived at the house, and people were finally getting used to her presence. She had met Smile, which consisted of prolonged coaxing of both parties for them to even be in the same room. Smile didn’t like unexpected things, and Connie was rightfully terrified of the demon-hellhound-thing with human teeth. But they managed to cooperate with Toby and kept a tense truce. Jay was surprisingly social with the woman, talking about school experiences and movies and anything else. Toby was glad to see Jay so open. Tim and Brian seemed to revert slightly into their guarded, quiet personas, but Jeff made sure they stayed happy whether they wanted to or not.

The first time Toby left on a ‘mission’ was hard.

He had been out of it all morning, bumping into things every so often and completely oblivious to any sort of attempt at conversation. Jeff had started following him, a hand almost always brushing his arm or hand. Eventually, Toby broke the rest of the way and wandered out of the house, blindly jogging through the woods. He hadn’t even noticed the hatchets he’d strapped to his back until he appeared at the edge of a nicer forest.

There was a park nearby. Toby winced as his enhanced hearing picked up someone recklessly stomping through grass and bushes, making birds fly up into the air. A pulsing sensation came from the same direction. Toby rolled his shoulders and headed towards the sounds, eyebrows furrowing as his headache got worse. He spotted the person, a teenage boy exploring, and ducked behind a large tree. As the boy neared, Toby slid a hatched out from its holster on his back. He shifted the weapon in his hands and exploded from behind the tree, swinging the hatchet down on the boy’s head. There was a strained, painful sound as he fell. He writhed for a moment, then laid still. A pool of blood spread from his wound.

Toby stared down at the body, trying to conjure up some sort of emotion for the boy. After failing to do so- like he always did- he sat and leaned against the tree he had hidden behind and waited for the blackout to come.

 

He woke up on the cold, leafy ground of his forest, head pounding. He groaned as he pushed himself to his feet, and perked up slightly when he saw he had woken up so close to the house. Slowly, he made his way to the entrance, leaning on the wall and coughing.

“Toby!” Connie cried. “You’re alright!”

“...yeah,” Toby replied, still sore and exhausted. Brian came up to him and put an arm around his waist.

“Get some sleep,” he said quietly. “We explained to Connie while you were gone,” he added in a whisper. Toby blinked at his mother, who hadn’t stopped staring at him since he got back, gaze worried. He let Brian help him to his bed and collapsed, hatchets still on his back. Brian sighed and left the room, letting Toby fall into a shallow slumber.

 

The bed shifting woke Toby up. He blinked the sleep from his eyes and saw Jeff climbing in beside him. “You need to take this off,” he commented, gesturing to the harness for his hatchets. He sighed and sat up, un-clipping the strap and letting it drop to the floor. Jeff waited for him to lay back down before shoving himself under his arm.

“How’s Connie?” Toby asked.

“I think she’ll be okay,” Jeff said. “We all need sleep,” he continued, “Brian said he’d stay up to make sure Connie calmed down and fell asleep.”

“That’s good.” Toby shifted under the thin blanket and pulled Jeff tighter against him, resting his cheek against the top of his head. He could hear Brian’s voice faintly now, a calm, low sound that pulled him deeper into sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some actual ticcijeff content hell yeah  
> trying to communicate the mind-control stuff was weird. i tried to make it like SM's influence started to crowd your brain, not letting thoughts process. it wont go away until the job is done.
> 
> it makes me so happy to see people bookmarking this!! i really didnt think it would get much attention.  
> also i wanna say sorry abt my other 2-chapter slenderverse fic that hasnt been updated in a year, just in case anyone reading this has read that one. i have a portion of the third chapter just. sitting around. no idea when i'll finish or post it..

**Author's Note:**

> toby taking an anxiety nap is a big mood
> 
> also, a note on how i write toby: when he stammers, its because a tic is interrupting him in some way. this was the only way i could figure out how to write his tics into dialogue. he also pauses mid-sentence in an attempt to make himself a little more understandable through the interruptions. if any a yall have tourettes or something similar and wanna give me tips, hit me up on tumblr! my url is spacemaverick. i love writing mentally ill characters, but i can only do so well when i dont have the disorder.  
> (speaking of that, im excited to get jay in here. hes autistic as fuck and i can actually _do_ autistic characters!


End file.
